


Work for It

by sleepwithacommunist



Category: Narcos (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Flirting, Jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:55:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23350531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepwithacommunist/pseuds/sleepwithacommunist
Summary: You work at a busy bar in Texas and meet a certain DEA agent who sets his sights on you during a night of drinking with his old partner. After a night of flirting and stolen glances at each other, Javier makes his move and asks you for something more. The only question is, will you agree?
Relationships: Javier Peña & Steve Murphy, Javier Peña/Original Female Character(s), Javier Peña/Reader, Javier Peña/You
Comments: 10
Kudos: 70





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is set after the events of Narcos (no spoilers though); Javi and Steve have been back in the States for a while.

You sighed heavily and angrily wiped down the bar table after having dealt with yet another drunken asshole. It was a hot Friday evening in Kingsville, Texas and it seemed like half the town was crammed in the tiny bar. You liked being the bartender of The Silver Spur, but you always dreaded dealing with the rowdy customers that came in after a long work day on Friday.

It had been a tiring week, and you just wanted to go home. Your foul mood only made the hours feel longer, and you prayed for something to cheer you up.  _ Maybe these people will decide there’s a better bar to drink at and leave soon _ , you thought bitterly.

As you continued cleaning the counter, you noticed two men enter the bar. The tall blond had one arm slung around the shoulders of his darker haired companion as they approached you with large smiles on their faces. As you watched them in curiosity, you couldn’t help but grin at how happy they seemed as they laughed loudly.

They sat down in front of you and the blond man looked up at you first.

“Excuse me, miss,” he spoke politely as he leaned across the counter. “What’s the most expensive drink you have?” He grinned widely and patted his friend’s back. “My buddy here is buying,” he chuckled while his friend gave him a surprised look.

You smirked at the two of them, amused with their friendly banter. Grabbing one of the bottles of more expensive liquor, you returned to the counter and started pouring two glasses for them.

You enjoyed chatting with friendly customers like them, so you asked, “So what’s the occasion, boys?”

The other man laughed softly as he gestured toward the blond one, “We’re old friends but it’s been awhile since we’ve seen each other. He’s visiting me from Miami. Thought we’d go out and grab a few like old times.”

You smiled at both of them and slid them their drinks, taking a moment to notice how attractive they both were. As you handed them the glasses, you caught a glimpse of the dark haired man checking you out.

You watched his eyes linger on your cleavage but it didn’t take him that long to look back up at your face with a small smile. He definitely knew how to throw a woman a glance that could make her knees weak, but you tried to keep your composure as he held eye contact.

“Well I hope you guys enjoy your time together. And let me know if I can get you something less expensive too,” you winked at the dark haired man before making your way to a customer at the far end of the bar.

As you walked away, you could feel his eyes on you, so you put a little extra sway in your hips as you left. And just like that, you could feel your previously sour mood getting better already.

~

Javier took a sip of his drink, watching as you left to tend to another customer. He gulped down the bitter liquid and dragged his eyes away from your ass so that he could turn towards Murphy. Meeting his eyes, he saw the smug look on his old partner’s face and immediately recognized it.

“What?” Javier asked softly and tried to ignore the heat rising in his cheeks.

Steve scoffed under his breath as he looked down at his glass in amusement. “I didn’t travel miles just to watch you ogle women at a bar.”

“Hey,” Javier chuckled while raising his hands in mock surrender, “if you came here to see me, then that’s exactly what you signed up for.”

Taking a gulp of his drink before shaking his head, Steve responded, “You haven’t changed at all, Peña.”

Javier smirked and glanced over at you for a moment. “At least I’m not just relying on prostitutes anymore,” he said as he continued to watch you talk with other customers.

“So you made some progress,” Steve deadpanned, making Javier laugh as he pulled his gaze away from you.

Willing himself to pay more attention to his friend, Javi turned his body in the direction of Steve and pulled out his box of cigarettes. He handed one to Steve and tried not to think about the way your dress perfectly hugged your curvy figure.

“So how’s life been in Miami?” Javier asked, trying to change the subject.

Both of them spent a while smoking, drinking, and catching up on what they’ve been up to since they left Colombia. As you returned to check on some customers sitting besides Steve, Javier couldn’t help but check you out again, his eyes darting over Steve’s shoulder to where you were standing.

Steve leaned in close to Javier and whispered, “Why don’t you ask her out instead of staring at her ass all night long?” He lightly hit Javi’s chest with the back of his hand before adding, “If you don’t do it, I will.”

Javier quirked his eyebrows at Murphy while he blew out some cigarette smoke. “Aren’t you married?”

Steve grinned and called out to you without responding to Javi, “Uh, excuse me!” He tapped the rim of his empty glass as you approached them.

Javier was feeling a little antsy now, thinking that Steve was really about to ask you out or say something that would embarrass him. His eyes flitted between his friend and your smiling face as you grabbed the bottle of alcohol to refill Steve’s glass.

Steve gave you a small nod in thanks and spoke before you could leave them. “I don’t think we introduced ourselves,” he said with a flirtatious smile.

Javi might have been known as a flirt, but Steve knew what he was doing, and the look he gave you obviously had the right effect as Javier watched your cheeks tint slightly from the attention.

“I’m Javier,” he cut in before Steve could say anything else.

He covered up the urgency in his voice with a seductive smirk and bedroom eyes. Javier liked the way you smiled shyly as his eyes quickly raked down your body. He never failed to make his intentions easily known.

Almost forgetting about the other pair of eyes watching them, Javi tore his gaze away from you when he heard Steve clear his throat. Looking down with a grin, knowing he was caught staring at you, he gestured towards Steve.

“Uh, and this is Steve,” he muttered and watched both of you closely.

He didn’t like the way Steve looked at you, perfectly mimicking the look Javi gave you seconds ago but making it seem more suave with his Southern charm. Steve extended his hand out for you to shake, drawing Javi’s eyes to where Steve’s thumb caressed your skin for a second too long.

It wasn’t that Javier was jealous, but he just didn’t like being one-upped in his own game– and by Murphy of all people. He swallowed thickly and waited for another opening.

You told them your name, nodding your head politely as you shook Steve’s hand. Steve cut in quickly, leaving Javi with his mouth oddly hanging open.

Repeating your name, Steve drawled, “What a beautiful name.”

Having had enough, Javier slapped his hand against Murphy’s back a little too harshly. Steve turned towards him with a pained look at first but couldn’t help smirking at how annoyed Javi was.

“Alright,” Javi chuckled, trying to break up the flirting between the two of you. “Ignore him. He hasn’t been around any women other than his wife.” He emphasized the last word, giving Steve a pointed look.

Smiling over the rim of his glass, he took a sip before answering, “Nah, that’s not it. It’s just the overly-friendly cop in me.” Steve winked at you as he spoke, and Javi knew what kind of game he was playing now.

“Oh, you’re a cop?” You said in surprise, your wide eyes focused on Steve’s baby blues.

“We’re DEA actually,” Javi spoke before Steve could, wanting to bring your attention back on him. He didn’t normally use the DEA card, but he was starting to run out of ideas with Steve competing against him.

“Really? Both of you?” Your eyes moved between the two of them in interest, clearly wanting to know more. “So what’s that like?”

Javier felt relief, knowing he had a better handle on the conversation now; talking about being a DEA agent was always easy for him. As Javier answered your curious questions, Steve kept quiet, knowing his time to tease Javi had ended.

As the night went on, the three of you chatted, but Javier grew more confident when it became clear that you were only flirting with him. In between serving the other customers and cleaning down the bar, you were stopping near them whenever you could and letting your eyes wander down Javier’s long neck as you batted your eyelashes at him.

Two rounds of drinks turned to three and then Steve decided it was time to leave.

“Alright,” he groaned as he got out of his seat. “It’s been fun and all, but we’ve both got an early morning tomorrow and I gotta call Connie before bed.”

He smirked at Javi, before throwing some money in front of him and patting his back.

“What’s tomorrow?” Javi asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Steve grinned before saying, “I’m finally takin’ you duck hunting.”

Javi laughed at that, raising his glass before taking a sip of his drink. As Steve turned to leave, he pointed in your direction while you had your back turned to the two of them. 

“Oh and I mean it. You don’t ask her out–”

Javi laughed and shook his head. “Yeah, yeah,” he said dismissively. “Tell Connie I said hi,” he yelled out to Steve as he walked out of the bar and smirked at Javi over his shoulder.

Soon after, you returned to check on Javier and wipe down the spot that Steve was sitting at.

“Your friend left already?”

“Yeah, he thought you and I would need some time alone,” Javi answered cheekily.

“How thoughtful of him,” you replied sarcastically, but the smile on your face meant you were amused with his joke.

Javier watched you silently as you worked nearby, cleaning glasses and picking up trash. The crowd in the bar was starting to die down, and it was just a matter of time before you would be closing up. He figured it was now or never to ask you for something more than just drinks and flirting.

“So,” he started, catching your attention as you put some glasses away, “How much longer before your shift is over?”

You laughed softly, asking, “Why? You planning on taking me home?”

He tilted his head at you, eyeing you up and down provocatively. “Would that be so bad? I saw the way you’ve been looking at me all night. And I know you noticed how I looked at you…”

With a grin, Javier watched you blush again for the upteenth time tonight. He enjoyed how your body easily reacted to his words, but that didn’t stop you from being quick-witted.

“Okay, I’ll admit you  _ are _ attractive, but–”

“But?” He questioned with a small frown.

“But I know how guys like you work,” you responded. “We’ll fuck once and then I’d probably never see you again.” You finished putting away the glasses and moved to stand in front of Javier. Looking him in the eyes, you teased, “I’m not looking to get my heart broken right now. That’s why men like you aren’t really my type.”

Javier quirked his eyebrows at that, not expecting you to have turned him down.

“How do you know I’m not your type?” He asked.

“I work at a bar,” you said softly. “I meet men like you every day.”

He knew you didn’t mean it too harshly, but he couldn’t help feeling a little hurt by that statement.

Blinded by his feelings and barely registering what he was saying before it was too late, he asked, “Why don’t you give me a chance before making that judgement?”

There wasn’t nearly enough time to take those words back. As much as he wanted you, he wasn’t planning on making that much of a commitment. Luckily, you weren’t so easily persuaded.

“Tell you what… If I see you around again, maybe then I’ll take you up on that offer.” You chuckled and started making your way to one of the last customers. “Have a good night, Javier,” you shouted out to him over your shoulder.

He tilted his glass back as he watched you leave. Throwing some money on the table, he kept his eyes on you a bit longer while his hands rested on his hips. Javier berated himself for making his earlier statement, but deep down, he felt an urge to continue playing this little game with you.

_ A challenge _ , he thought as he slowly exited the bar. He wouldn’t mind a challenge for once. In Colombia, it felt almost too easy to get the stress relief he needed. And although he told himself all he wanted was a one night stand, he knew there was something different about you.

If there was one thing that Javier prided himself on, it was his persistence. It had helped him catch Escobar and it would eventually help him win you over. You might not have been interested in him at that moment, but he wasn’t going to stop trying. With a smile on his face, he waited for a cab to pull over as he planned the next time that he would return to The Silver Spur.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Javier returns to the bar in the hopes that you won't reject him this time. But after weeks of returning, it doesn't go exactly as planned. He soon realizes he's the one who caught feelings for you, and you don't seem to pay him any mind. On top of that, he doesn't handle jealousy very well, and the guy at the end of the bar just doesn't want to shut up.

Walking into the dimly lit bar, Javier noticed it was more crowded than the last time he was here. Faint sounds of Country music played from the tiny jukebox in the corner; he didn’t even notice it was there last time. Maybe he was too preoccupied with the way you stole looks at him every time you had to tend to customers on the other side of the bar.

It had been a few days since he had first visited The Silver Spur, and even though this was only his second time in the bar, he felt a sense of belonging as if he had been coming to this bar for years. Or maybe that was just his wishful thinking. Truth be told, Javi only really liked this place because you worked here.

He caught your eye as he approached the bar and took a seat in front of you, his heart skipping a beat as you smiled at him. Willing himself not to show how nervous he was, he ignored the way his hands felt clammy while he settled in the seat. He kept a seductive smirk on his face, but he only prayed it could mask how sick he felt as his heart was beating wildly.

You chuckled softly, your eyes wandering over to the entrance of the bar before you spoke. “Where’s your friend?”

Javi felt his stomach tighten in a knot briefly, wondering if you were more excited to see Steve than him. “He’s back in Miami,” he responded dismissively.

You tsked in disappointment before joking, “What a shame. I really liked him.”

Laughing nervously, he tried not to feel too hurt by that, knowing you were just teasing him. Even though Murphy wasn’t here with him this time, he still felt like he had to compete. It didn’t help that you basically rejected him the last time he was here.

  
“Guess you’ll just have to deal with me instead,” Javi said with a small grin.

His eyes flitted down your body as you leaned against the countertop in front of him with a flirty grin. “Lucky me,” you drawled as you grabbed a glass for him. “Same drink as last time?”

Javi shook his head quickly, “As much as I liked it, I don’t think I can afford much more. I’ll have a beer, thanks.”

You chuckled and handed him a bottle of Lone Star and a coaster. “Well, just holler if you need me,” you said before walking over to another customer.

Javier smiled politely as he watched you leave, taking a sip of the beer once you walked away. He could tell by your body language that you were attracted to him; he wasn’t blind. But he just didn’t understand why you didn’t do anything about the attraction.

It wasn’t often that Javier needed to work this hard for a woman’s attention. As much as it annoyed him, he also admired you for it oddly enough. Laughing softly to himself as he caught your eye again, he wondered how long this would last before you give in and spend a night in his bed.

~

Days turned into weeks and Javi quickly became a regular customer at The Silver Spur– something that he was not expecting when he started this little personal challenge. He couldn’t help it; every day he spent talking and flirting with you, he grew more and more infatuated by your presence.

There was barely a day that went by where he wouldn’t rush out of work at the end of a long shift and head to the bar for a drink. He was starting to look like a damn alcoholic, but he didn’t care if it meant he could see you.

He told you that he liked drinking there because it was the closest place and that you had the best drinks in town. Both of those were lies; the bar was in the opposite direction of work and his house, and frankly he could have gotten the same quality beer anywhere else. He went out of his way nearly every day just so that he could spend more time getting to know you. He only wished you could realize how committed he was.

At this point, the two of you knew a lot about each other. It was like you had gone on 10 dates, but the truth was that neither of you ever spent a second outside of the bar together. No matter how many times Javier would flirt, you’d never show any interest in something more than suggestive banter with him. God knows why he hadn’t just given up after week one, but now he was in too deep.

Javi sighed heavily as he walked into the bar on yet another night that he just wanted to see you and talk to you. He took his usual seat and gave you his signature smile when you turned to greet him.

“Hey, Javi,” you exclaimed with that bright grin that always made him melt. “The usual?” You asked and reached for a beer.

He nodded and took the bottle from your hand, his fingers brushing against yours briefly. Your touch was electric, and he hated how his body always reacted this way when he’d give you the slightest touch. He felt like he was back in high school, but as much as he tried to fight the feelings he had for you, he knew it was useless.

As usual, you didn’t seem flustered at all with his presence or the way your hands touched. You just threw him an adorable smile and started talking to him about shit that he normally pays way too much attention to. This time, however, he couldn’t focus on the words you were saying to him.

Instead, he zoned out and watched the way your mouth moved as you spoke. He watched the dimples on your cheeks grow as you smiled and how you played with your hair while you talked. He looked into your eyes and noticed how beautiful they were and how gorgeous you sounded when you laughed.

Damn, he knew this feeling, and the realization of it made his stomach drop. The last time he felt this way, he fucked it up. What was going to stop him from fucking it up again?

Before he could get too lost in his thoughts, he faintly heard you asking him a question, so he snapped himself out of it. “Sorry, what was that?” He asked with a sheepish look on his face.

“I said, ‘how have you been?’ Are they giving you a hard time at the DEA because you look exhausted today.” You looked so concerned for him and it just made him fall for you even more. He wanted to know what it would be like to be pampered by you.

“Oh yeah, I’m alright. Just a long day,” he explained and gave you a small smile meant to reassure you.

You placed a hand on his shoulder and he could swear his heart was beating so loudly that it muffled out the sound of music coming from the old jukebox.

“Okay, but I’m here for you if you need to get anything off your chest,” you offered and patted his shoulder. “Hell, I’m pretty sure it says that in my job description,” you joked, making him laugh softly.

Letting go of him, you stepped away and walked over to a different customer while Javi drowned his sorrows. He told himself that the beers would distract him from the newfound feelings he had for you, but every time he took another swig, he only seemed to get more lost in your beauty. It also didn’t help that you could tell something was bothering him, so you spent more time checking up on him than tending to the other customers.

All the attention from you was making him feel fuzzy inside, and deep down, he wanted you to fuss over him all night long. Feeling a little too tipsy now, Javi was finally starting to relax and flirt with you like he always does. The night was going relatively smoothly until a rowdy group of young men entered the bar noisily.

Javi frowned as he looked over at them. They were so loud that the sound of their obnoxious laughter made his head hurt. He watched as they sat on the barstools and called out for you to take their orders. He didn’t notice he was grinding his teeth when he watched you smile in their direction.

You spent far too much time talking to them as you handed them drinks and snacks. Javi watched the entire conversation with glaring eyes as he gulped down his beer. One of the men who seemed to be the leader of the group had set his eyes on you.

Javi couldn’t hear what the man was saying to you, but every few seconds, he would hear your gorgeous laughter ring through the bar. The sound normally caused his stomach to do flips but now it just made him sick. You were enjoying yourself over there; sticking next to the group of men and for once, not glancing over in Javi’s direction.

He hated every second of it, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the scene. There was a clear difference in the way you were flirting with the man. You weren’t as confident; your eyes were cast down in shyness as the guy smirked at you, and there was a slight blush on your face. Whenever you would flirt with Javi, it was almost like you were too confident– as if you knew he didn’t stand a chance with you, so there was no need to get flustered from his attention.

Anger and jealousy flared within his chest. He hated the way the man looked so smug with how all of your attention was on him and no one else. Javi was getting pissed off now, and he quickly realized he needed another drink if he was going to get through the night.

Raising his voice as he looked over at the group of guys, Javi yelled, “Hey man, some of us are trying to order drinks over here!” He held his empty beer glass up in testament to how he was waiting for you to give him a refill.

Watching you apologize to them and leave the group, he saw how the one you were talking to ogled your ass as you walked away. Javi scowled as you approached him, wishing he could knock the smug look off that guy’s face.

You handed him another beer with concern written on your face. “You alright?” You look like someone killed your dog,” you joked nervously.

He took a swig of his beer, the alcohol in his system making him forget to wipe the look of disgust off his face. “So that’s the type of guy you’d rather be with? He looks like an asshole to me,” he muttered, his words sounding more slurred and hurt than he expected them to.

You gave him a confused look, but Javi was too drunk to understand any social cues. All he felt was rage swirling around inside him, and he needed something to help him release his anger. Before you could say anything in response, he got out of his seat, almost tipping the stool over with how fast he moved.

“Thanks for the drinks,” he said, his voice sounding cold and harsh. “Keep the change.” He threw some money on the table and left before you could say a word.

His head pounded as he heard the nauseating laughter coming from the asshole and his friends. He exited the bar, swinging the door open harshly and waiting for a taxi to hail. He could barely stand straight, but somehow he got a cab and rattled off an address to the driver once he was inside.

He wasn’t able to process where he was going or what address he had given because his mind was too busy replaying the way that you had acted around that guy. The taxi stopped at his destination and Javi stumbled out after handing the driver his money. His feet carried him to the door of the apartment until he was drunkenly banging on it for the person inside to answer.

It wasn’t until a familiar blonde woman answered the door that he realized where he was– the apartment of one of his old flings.

She looked shocked as she answered the door and saw him standing there.

“Javi? What the hell are you doing here?” She asked incredulously.

_ What the hell am I doing here _ , he wondered at the same time she spoke, but he had no fucking idea what the answer was.

He tried to find the answer by looking her up and down, taking in how she only wore a thin nightgown and tried to cover herself with a robe. He thought he needed her. He thought maybe this would be the best way to get his mind off the way you smiled at the man at the bar and how you’d never look at him that way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last thing Javier remembered about last night wasn't something he was proud of. After sobering up and deciding he needs to change his ways, he returns to The Silver Spur in the hopes that you'll agree to a date with him.

Javier woke up with a pained groan. He instantly knew he was hungover, and he squinted as the bright sunlight streamed in from his windows. He looked around, noticing that he had slept in the same clothes he had worn to work yesterday. His nose crinkled when he caught a whiff of himself as he got out of bed.

_ I’m a damn mess _ , he thought to himself as he tried to remember exactly what happened last night. Javier mentally retraced his steps as he got into his shower to wash the stench of alcohol off him. The cold water helped clear his mind and he remembered going to The Silver Spur after work. He furrowed his brows as the memories of what happened came flooding back, causing his head to pound in frustration.

~

“What are you doing here?” The blonde woman repeated, blocking Javier from entering the house as he tried to push the door open wider.

“I need you,” he slurred. He tried to sound charming and enticing, but he was so drunk that the words came out in a low whine.

She rolled her eyes and kept an iron grip on the doorknob, not allowing Javier to make his way inside.

“You’re drunk, Javi,” she stated as she watched his body sway slightly.

He stopped pushing on the door and stared at her blankly. She was firm and unmoving– something he wasn’t expecting. He thought he could convince her to have one more night of passion with him, regardless of the cold way he had ended their relationship. His gaze moved down in embarrassment, and he caught a glimpse of a sparkling ring on her finger.

Javier felt sick as his eyes returned to the concerned face of his past lover. The sight of her ring quickly sobered him up, and guilt replaced the numbness he was feeling before. Guilt that he had come to someone who had clearly moved on, and more guilt that he was only proving you right by trying to fuck someone else for one night.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she muttered with an apologetic grimace. She had caught the way he looked at her left hand for a second too long. “I’ll call you a cab.”

As he watched her walk to her phone, Javier cursed under his breath and left before he could embarrass himself any further. He came to her for a distraction, but luckily he had fucked up their relationship so much that she didn’t even consider letting him inside her house. It was for her own good, and maybe even his as well.

~

Javier was relieved that she had asked him to leave; he wouldn’t have been able to forgive himself if he had given in to his drunken desires. Now that he was sober, he knew he had let his jealousy get the better of him, and he hated himself for it.

Shaking his head, he rinsed the soap off his body and realized he had to act before it was too late. Javier didn’t want to lose you to the next guy who would be bold enough to ask you out. He had to make the first move, even if he was scared of losing the small relationship he had made with you in the past few weeks.

After showering and taking some Advil, he threw on some of his nicer clothes so that he could impress you. Javier didn’t normally put much thought into dressing to impress women, but as usual he found himself acting differently because of you.

He spritzed some cologne on his neck and stared at his reflection in the mirror. His heart was beating wildly, and he prayed he wouldn’t sweat through the light pink dress shirt he was wearing.

As he looked at himself, a nagging voice in the back of his head told him it wasn’t too late to back out now and spare you the pain of loving him. Javier turned away from his reflection, promising himself that he wasn’t going to revert to his old ways. And with that, he made the journey to The Silver Spur to see you again.

~

As he entered the bar, Javier noticed it was practically empty since it was too early for the normal crowd. There was only one man sitting at the bar, and you seemed to be having an unpleasant conversation with him.

Javier approached slowly, his gut telling him that something wasn’t right about the way the man was talking to you. As he got closer, he heard you ask the man to leave as you gave him a disgusted look.

“Is everything alright here?” Javier interrupted the heated conversation and looked at you with concern written on his face.

His body went on alert as he noticed how uncomfortable you looked. He turned towards the man and saw the way he leered at you before throwing a dirty look in Javier’s direction.

“Hey, why don’t you mind your own business,” he spat out while glaring at Javier.

“I think she asked you to leave.” Javier stood his ground and narrowed his eyes at the man.

“I was here first, buddy, so fuck off,” he replied with a murderous look on his face.

He could sense the man was moments away from throwing a punch as he invaded Javier’s personal space. He tried to look threatening, but Javier was not phased by it at all.

Clenching his fists at his sides, Javier harshly demanded, “Leave.”

The man lunged towards Javier, but he was anticipating it and threw the first punch. Javier expertly grabbed the back of the man’s head and slammed it down against the bar countertop. Javier heard you gasp softly upon seeing the abrupt struggle, so he looked up to give you a reassuring look. Adrenaline coursed through his body as he firmly kept the man pinned down with his forearm.

“You must be really unlucky, pal.” Javier muttered and quickly flashed his badge while covering the part that said ‘DEA’. “I’m a cop, asshole,” he explained in a low voice.

Realizing his mistake, the man sputtered under Javier’s heavy arm. “W-Wait, I didn’t know. Let me go, man. I haven’t done anything wrong!”

Looking up at you with a sly grin, Javier asked, “Ma’am, was this man bothering you?”

“Yes sir, he was,” you responded, quickly catching on. “Thank god you came when you did, officer!” You were hamming it up, and Javier gave you a look that said not to go overboard with your performance.

“What?! I didn’t lay a hand on her!” The man grunted in pain as Javier added a bit more pressure on his head.

Ignoring the man, Javier asked you, “Would you like to press charges?”

Smirking, you replied, “Hm, you know now that you mention it…” You drew out your response as if you were debating it, and unsurprisingly, the man fell for your bluff.

“Wait! If you let me go, I promise I won’t bother ya again.” He strained against Javier’s forearm, desperately trying to escape.

Javier looked at you to ensure you were satisfied before he bent down to whisper threateningly in his ear. “If we ever see you here again, you’ll be the one asking to press charges next time.”

He loosened his hold on the man and watched him scramble away in fear. Turning to you with a proud look on his face, Javier hoped you were impressed by how he handled the situation. He expected you to be shaken up by the encounter, but instead you were chuckling softly as you watched the man leave in a hurry.

“Oh officer,” you exclaimed dramatically, “you saved me!”

Javier laughed, “Alright, glad to see your sense of humor is intact,” he muttered and approached you so that he could see if you were hurt. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

He hesitantly placed his hand on your shoulder and checked for any wounds. He doubted the man had hurt you, but Javier wasn’t going to pass up the excuse to be closer to you.

“I’m fine, Javi,” you smiled reassuringly, but he noticed you didn’t make a move to push his hands away.

The two of you stayed rooted in place, and Javier’s eyes flickered across your face. There was no way the chemistry he felt was one-sided. Javier got lost in his thoughts, not realizing that his thumb was rubbing soothing circles on your shoulder. He faintly heard your breath hitch from the way he caressed your skin, but then you pulled away shyly.

You gestured to the liquor behind you, avoiding his gaze. “Uh, you want the usual or something fancier? It’s on the house,” you offered.

He shook his head politely and explained, “I’m not here for drinks.” He paused, unsure why he felt so nervous asking you out when he had done this so many times before. Swallowing his pride, he continued, “I wanted to know if you’d like to go out on a date with me sometime.”

You didn’t look very surprised, and Javier wasn’t sure what to make of that. Silence fell as he waited for your answer, and he felt like it was suffocating him. He prepared himself for the inevitable rejection, but you surprised him when you replied with a ‘yes’.

“Yes, I’ll go out with you,” you repeated, noticing how shocked he looked. You giggled at his expression before joking, “I was ready to ask you out two weeks ago, but I wanted to see how long you’d keep coming back.”

Feeling more relaxed now, Javier sighed in relief and mockingly glared at you. “And you said I’d be the one to string you along,” he teased.

“Sorry,” you laughed softly, “I just wasn’t expecting you to stick around this long.”

Javier shrugged, leaning against the bar to smile flirtatiously at you. His confidence was restored now that he knew you felt the same way. “Well neither was I,” he confessed. “But you grew on me.”

You mimicked his stance and leaned closer to him so that your faces were inches apart. Javier’s gaze dropped to your lips momentarily, knowing you were watching with a small grin. He held his breath, waiting for you to make a move this time.

“Well then I’m glad I made you work for it,” you whispered and closed the gap between the two of you.


End file.
